A Grand Chase Cinderella
by marshmallow7
Summary: It's like your everyday Cinderella, only now it's Grand Chase style  XD
1. Invitations to the Ball

**Disclaimer**: Should I still state the obvious? **I do not own Grand Chase**. But I guess everyone already knows that. :D

_

* * *

_

_"Papa, papa!" A tiny voice called out. "Look what I found!" She beamed proudly, holding up a lovely lilac flower with the same shade as her eyes and hair._

_"It's beautiful. As beautiful as my little mademoiselle here even?" He ruffled the violet locks of his giggling daughter._

_"I think the flower's prettier." She said, gazing at the lilac. "I'm gonna show this to Mama. She hasn't been to the gardens lately because she's sick. I hope she gets better soon…" The girl said plainly, eyes still glued to the flower._

_"I'm sure she'll love it, darling." Her father said wistfully, his eyes shining. He looked at his daughter who was looking at the flower with such interest. Silently, he thanked the flower for being so beautiful that his little girl couldn't seem to take her eyes off it. Wiping the tears threatening to fall with his hand, he took a deep breath ad smiled, taking her little hand in his. "Let us go then, shall we?"_

_"Yes Papa." The little girl smiled brightly, her other hand gently grasping the petite flower._

* * *

"Wake up, you lazy child! Do you know what time it is?" a voice yelled.

Arme shifted underneath her covers, and sat up groggily. "Coming mother…" She mumbled.

***Click***

Her door swung open, revealing a tall woman dressed in a long purple dress embroidered in gold silk and adorned with all sorts of precious stones. She glared at her "daughter" and threw a dirty rag cloth at her face.

"The chimney's quite black with soot again and the floors are all dirty. Go clean the up you worthless child." She spat and with that, she turned her heel and marched out of her bedroom.

Arme sighed as she wiped the dirt of her face. _"Oh where are you papa?"_ She thought wistfully, picking up the rag and made her way down the spiral staircase to the living room. She picked up the duster and began cleaning the chimney.

After an hour of dusting the chimney, she proceeded to mopping the floor, which was covered in Luna's muddy paw prints—**_Again._**

As she was cleaning, the doorbell rung and she went to answer it, expecting the usual bills and fan mail her mother and sisters often receive. To her surprise, it was the Royal Guard Master of Kanavan.

"I have come to formally invite you and your entire household to the King's ball tonight." He said handing her an envelope sealed with the royal emblem of Kanavan. "All are invited, rich or poor, young and old. That includes you, mademoiselle." He said, winking. "I bid you good day milady, adieu."

She bowed hastily and received the letter with both hands and quickly made her way to her mother's quarters as soon as the Royal Guard Master left.

"Mother, mother!"

"What is it you disgusting child?" Her mother shouted.

"The Royal Guard Master gave us an invitation to the King's Ball!" She said cheerfully, handing the envelope to her mother. "He said anyone and everyone is invited. I have never been to a ball before." Arme said dreamily.

"And you never will." The witch spat. "You have work to do and you haven't got a dress to start with."

"But…" Arme's voice faltered. "I… What if I finish all the chores before the ball?" She said hopefully.

"Impossible. The ball is tonight at 6pm sharp. We shall be leaving at five so as not to be late and you expect to finish by then?"

"Yes," the purple haired girl said. "I can… I"

"Even if you can," interrupted her mother, "You haven't a dress to wear."

"She can borrow one of mine," a voice said.

"Shut up Elesis and return to your room at once!" The woman shouted.

"I am in my room, mother, and I suggest you be the one to go to yours." Elesis retorted.

"Why you insolent-"

"Yeah, yeah." The red head said as she pushed her mother out and slammed the door in her face. There was silence in the room and they could hear their mother's angry shrieks from the other side of the thick oak door. "So Arme," she turned and saw Arme's dirty hair and rag clothing. "Choose a dress."

* * *

"But…"

"For the hundredth time, Father, I will not choose a stupid princess from this ball!" A silver haired boy shouted exasperatedly at the King. His voice echoed through the grand hallways of the castle. Some of the maids who were supposedly attending the king scurried back in fear of the young master's temper.

"My dear Prince, you are of age and…"

"I am only eighteen, Father! I still have my youth ahead of me. Please stop meddling with my life! I don't care if I marry or not. It doesn't matter!" He yelled, smashing his fist on the wall. The kings sighed and waved his hand at the maids, signaling them to take their leave. The maids bowed gratefully and hurried out of the room.

"Son, I… You don't have to marry now. I just thought you might need some help…"

"I don't need help! I am perfectly fine on my own!" He slumped down one of the chairs and looked away, his azure eyes refusing to meet his father's.

"And I can see that." The king sighed and looked out the window. "If only your mother were here… She'd know what to do."

The prince let out a heavy sigh. "Fine I'll… Father, I'll attend the ball tonight and try to act amused and even entertain some princesses. Just… don't do it again okay…" He stood up and left his father to his thoughts.

* * *

A/N: Typical Cinderella story with a twist~ Elesis as stepsister #1 and Ronan as the Royal Messenger? Haha :))


	2. Going Shopping

_"Mama, mama! Look what I found!" The little girl broke free from her father's hold and raced towards the bed where her mother lay. "Mama look!" She proudly held the lilac for her mother to see. Upon earning no response, the girl grew worried and started shaking her mother so she'd wake up. "Mama? Mama!" The little girl kept shaking her mother who didn't respond in any way._

_"Come now, dear. Mama needs to rest." Her father tried pulling her away from her mother but she wouldn't budge._

_She looked at her dad in horror when she saw the tears running down his cheeks. It could only mean one thing." No! Mama! Wake up Mama! You're not dead!" She wailed, tears already cascading down her rosy cheeks. "You can't be dead!"_

_"MAMA!"_

* * *

"So which dress would you like to wear to tonight's ball?" Elesis asked her.

"Um… I thought this was mother's room…" Arme said softly, taking a quick glance at the closet full of beautiful dresses and gowns.

The red head looked at her for a while and laughed. "Oh yeah! It is! Well too late for that now. Tell you what, Amy and I'll help you with the chores so you can come later."

Amethyst eyes widened. "I- I… Thank you Elesis!" She exclaimed and hugged her stepsister. "You're the best!"

"I know." She chuckled, ruffling Arme's dirty lilac hair. "Now I wonder where Amy might be…"

* * *

Inside the castle was a state of beldam. Servants were running everywhere, carrying trays of food, arranging the flowers, designing the ballroom and cleaning up the walls and floor for tonight's ball. In the midst of the chaos was a woman with forest green eyes and long blond hair. She was in charge of everything concerning the ball.

"Is the banquet ready?" She asked.

"Yes, milady."

"Are the invitations sent?"

"The Royal Guard Master made sure of that, milady."

"Are the gardens presentable to the guests?"

"As they always were, milady."

"Are the guards well informed of their duty tonight?"

"Yes, they are, milady."

Suddenly there was a loud noise coming from the kitchen, followed by a series of shouts, shrieks and curses. Pots and pans can be heard crashing about and plates and glasses being broken.

"Elena?" She spoke calmly, despite of the pandemonium in the kitchen.

"Y-yes milady?"

"Where's Ryan?"

"Last I saw him, milady, he was heading towards the kitchen."

"And you did not stop him?"

"N-no, milady." Elena looked down, knowing she might get fired. Everyone knew that Ryan must absolutely not go into the kitchen, being the tree-hugging vegetarian that he is.

The emerald-eyed woman sighed and proceeded to the kitchen. "Make sure everything goes as planned by the time I come back or you're fired."

"Y-yes, milady."

* * *

Going through the mansion, Elesis and Arme searched for Amy. As they passed through the halls and rooms of the house, Arme couldn't help but notice how clean they are. Finally, they arrived at Arme's room to see the rose-eyed girl busy cleaning.

"Oh, you're here~!" She said. "Took you long enough."

"You… Amy… I… How…" Arme stuttered.

"What's wrong shorty? Luna got your tongue?" Amy giggled.

"That's so corny pumpkin head." Elesis retorted.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that. So Arme, have you chosen a dress yet? I finished all your chores so now all you need is a dress. I've got a lot of dresses in my closet~! I could lend you some or you could borrow Elesis' or we could go shopping now and-"

"Wait! What? Stop talking continuously and rapidly." Arme looked at her tiredly, "How were you able to finish all my chores so fast? It's still teatime."

"Well, I had some help…" She walked over to the window and waved. Curious, Elesis and Arme peeked outside and saw a group of people waving back.

"You called your fan club over?" Elesis eyed her incredulously.

"Of course not!" Amy said defensively. "They're just passer-bys who happen to know about me and agreed to clean the house in exchange for my autograph~"

"Figures." Arme giggled.

"So what are you guys waiting for? Let's go shopping!" Amy grabbed her two sisters and dragged them towards the door. "This'll be so much fun!"

Arme an Elesis exchanged worried glanced with each other. Shopping with Amy is anything and everything but fun. It's torture…

* * *

Staring out the window, the prince sighed. "I wish this day would be over soon."

"Excited for tonight are we?" A blue haired man spoke.

"Hardly." The prince rolled his eyes. "I don't even want to attend the stupid ball."

"Unfortunately for you, you already promised His Majesty that you would go. No turning back on your word now." He teased.

"Yeah. Must suck to be you, eh Lassy?" A crimson haired man with gleaming saffron eyes joined the conversation.

"Shut up. And don't call me 'Lassy' dammit! Seriously, if you guys weren't my friends, I would so have your heads on a silver platter right now."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Watch your temper Lass." A female voice spoke. The three of them turned to see a blond woman holding the ear of an orange haired man in her grip,

"Ow, ow, ow! Lire, let go! It hurts! Argh!" He winced as Lire pulled his ear.

Crossing his arms, Lass looked at the poor guy and sighed for the thousandth time that day. "What did you do now, Ryan?"

"I… I-It was the chef's fault! He brutally murdered animals! I saw him! I was just trying to avenge the souls of those who died, that their struggle might not be in vain and— Ouch! Lire! "

"Save your speech. The chef was only doing his job, Ryan! Now, listen to me when I say stay out of the kitchen or else!" She said, letting go of Ryan's ear.

"Or else what?" He challenged.

"Or else I'll break up with you." She said bluntly.

"You wouldn't…"

"Try me." She glared.

"I… Sorry Lire." He said, head drooping like a sad puppy.

"Aw… That's ok Ryan~" She cooed, kissing his cheek.

"Ok, eww! Gross! Barf! Go do stuff like that somewhere where I can't see ok?" Lass coughed.

"Aww… Lassy's affected." Ryan teased.

"I'm not!" Lass shouted.

"Stop it both of you." Lire said as she pushed Ryan away from Lass "Anyway, as I was saying earlier, that temper of yours will be a big problem someday. I suggest you fix it."

"And how do you suggest I fix it?" Azure eyes glared at her.

"Well, clear your mind for starters. Go get some fresh air or something. Ronan and Jin will accompany you. Won't you?" She smiled at the two who knew better than to argue with Lire.

"Yes of course! I know a good place where we can go." Ronan said.

"Absolutely! C'mon Lassy! You need a disguise!" Jin said a bit too enthusiastically.

"No wait I- Hey! Look I don't-" Lass tried to protest but got dragged along by Jin and Ronan. "Damn you Lire!"

"Have a good time!" She smiled and waved. "Oh and don't forget to be back here by six!"

* * *

A/N: Chapter 2 :D Elesis and Amy are the stepsisters. Can anyone guess who the stepmother is? Hehe.. I'm thinking this might take more than just 3 chapters to finish… -_- 


	3. Meeting You

A shadow passed through the silent forest like ghost, barely making a sound as it swiftly passes maneuvers through the twist and turns then abruptly stops in front of an old abandoned cottage. Slowly, silently it crept through the empty house, the floorboards creaking under its weight. "Hmm… She's not here…"A twig snaps and the figure whips around to confront the unknown visitor.

"Looking for me, perhaps?" A woman with dark skin and glowing red eyes dressed in a black cloak smiled at the shadow, but her eyes said otherwise. "You're trespassing is private property. I could have you brought to court."

A Dark Fairy Queen? No… That aura... "None of that now." The shadow stepped out of the darkness, revealing a woman with golden hair and red eyes. "I have a deal to make with you, Kaze'Aze."

"I see you're as sharp as ever, Knight Master." She cackled. "Or should I say, former knight master. I heard they've replaced you with a boy now known as a Royal Guard Master, hmm?"

"Oh, shut up Kaze'Aze," the Knight Master snapped. "Let's get to the point. I want this girl captured and brought to me by midnight tonight..." She handed her a colored sketch of a young girl with short hair and bright eyes.

"This is… Hmm… You're quite the 'loving' parent aren't you?" Kaze'Aze took the picture and neatly folded it and placed it in her pocket. "And what do I get in return?"

"Anything you desire. Gold, jewels, power," The Knight Master smiled darkly. "Your very own personal human guinea pig, perhaps?"

* * *

"Amy… My legs are killing me." Elesis complained. "I'm hungry too."

"Fine, lets go take a break in that café over there~!" Amy dragged her sister towards the shop when she noticed that Arme was nowhere to be found. "Hey Ellie?"

"What is it pumpkin head?"

"Where's Arme?" Elesis' head shot up and glanced around, her crimson eyes scanning the crowd.

"Damn…"

* * *

Alone in the crowded streets of Kanavan, a purple haired girl with matching eyes can be seen. Clutching the hem of the skirt, she scans the crowd for familiar faces. None. She sighed and continued walking. ***Thud!*** "Ouch…"

"Hey watch it." A voice said.

"S-sorry…" she whispered, tearing up. "I didn't mean to…"

"Oh, now look. You made her cry Lass." Another voice chided. "That's so ungentlemanly of you."

"Are you alright, miss?"

Arme looked up and saw three guys. The guy with indigo hair smiled at her kindly, making her blush. "I'm Ronan, this is Jin…"

"Heya!" Jin, the guy with red hair like Elesis, waved.

"And the guy you bumped into was Lass." Arme tried and failed to stifle a giggle.

"Lass? Isn't that a-"

"Shut up." He eyed her coldly, causing her to shiver a bit. Their eyes met the moment he glared at her and Arme couldn't help but notice how beautiful his sapphire eyes were.

"You have such pretty eyes," she whispered, as though she were in a trance. Lass blushed and Arme immediately covered her mouth, realizing what she just said.

"I…" Lass looked away, a small smile adorning his face. "Thanks I guess."

"So um… You haven't told us your name yet, miss," Jin said, ruining the moment.

"Oh! I… I'm Arme." she smiled. "Um… Did you guys happen to see two girls? One with red eyes and matching hair like Jin's that has a really scary temper and the other with pink hair and rose colored eyes?" Arme asked a bit hopefully.

"Sorry. We haven't met anyone like that." Ronan apologized.

"Oh…" Arme said. "That's ok."

"Why? Did they steal anything from you?" Jin asked.

"No! They didn't do anything like that. It's just that I… I'm lost…" Arme looked down and blush. _"I'm sixteen and I still get lost in the streets like a child. I'm so stupid. They'll probably laugh at me…" she thought._ Tears started to form in her eyes and she struggled not to let them fall. "I'm sorry for troubling you…" Her voice broke and the tears started falling. Turning around she ran towards the sea of people.

"H-hey!" Lass called after her. "Wait!" _There's just something about this girl… Something that makes my heart race… I… I…_

"Lass! Wait!" Ronan shouted.

"Well this ought to be fun~" Jin smirked, running after the prince.

"What- Jin! Aw come on!" Ronan mentally slapped himself before running after Lass and Jin.

* * *

"Ooh… This looks lovely~" Amy cooed, holding up a white silk gown laced with purple lilac flowers. "Oh this looks pretty too. And this and that and oh look th-"

"Amy. Stop. Please." Elesis exclaimed. "I can't take it anymore! Aren't we supposed to look for Arme?"

"We shop while looking for her~! It's like killing two birds with one stone." Amy beamed. "Anyway, I've decided on this one. I'm sure she'll love it! Wait for me outside. I'll go pay for it."

Elesis went out the shop and saw a cloaked figure pass by her. The red head gulped and stared at the figure. "She has a dark aura about her… Scary…"

"Hey Ellie…" Amy waved her hand in front of Elesis' face. "Yoo-hoo~ earth to Ellie~"

"Hmm? What?" Elesis looked at her then sighed. "I thought you were-" A flash of purple passed by her, followed by a flash of silver. "Hey isn't that Arme?"

"Someone's chasing her. We gotta do something Ellie." Amy whispered.

"Stop calling me that. C'mon. We gotta run after her—Whoa!"

"Kyaa-!"

***Thud!***

"Ow… Hey that hurt you!" Elesis glared at the guy on top of her… Wait, a guy on top of her?

"S-sorry miss…" He apologized, looking into her ruby orbs. _Red hair, red eyes…_

"G-get off!" She yelled, shoving him off her. _He was looking intently at me! I don't know whether to be flattered or disgusted…_ "Hey Amy, you alright?" She asked the pink haired girl, helping her get up.

_Pink hair and rose eyes…_ "Do you guys know Arme?" the blue haired guy asked.

"Yeah we do. What of it?" Elesis glared at him.

"She was looking for you guys," the crimson haired guy said.

"We're looking for her too." Amy said shyly. "I'm Amy by the way, and she's Elesis."

"Jin." The fiery red head said. "And that's Ronan."

"Maybe you guys can help us find her." Elesis stated.

Ronan nodded. "We're sort of looking for our friend too."

"Oh, you mean the silver haired guy who was chasing her?"

"Yeah. That's our guy."

"Well then c'mon. We don't have all day you know." Elesis started running towards the direction Arme and the silver haired guy were headed.

"Tell me about it." Ronan rolled his eyes, following the red head.

* * *

A/N: three chapters in one day :D that's a first. No flashbacks this time~ So they finally met! Might take a long time for the next update though since sembreak's over:'( ***cries!* **

Evil stepmother will be revealed in the next chapter! or the next next… Hmmm…. Although I'm pretty sure most of you have already guessed who she is... I made Arme look like such a cry baby in this chap... Sorry Arme .


	4. Blossoming Feelings

Disclaimer: Stop reminding me that I don't own GC

_

* * *

"Princess, this will be your new mama." A man told his daughter, gesturing to a young woman with blond hair and bright crimson eyes. Behind her were two other girls about the same age as her. "And these two will be your new sisters. You'll have playmates now darling. Isn't that wonderful?"_

_"My mama died six years ago," she said coldly. "I don't want a new mama." Her eyes were blank and her voice was devoid of any emotion. "I don't need a new mama!"_

_"Don't be like that, princess," her father chided gently. "Be good for papa. Please?"_

_"No!" She looked away and bit her lip. "I… I hate you for replacing Mama!" She turned around and ran straight for her room._

_"Princess!" The man called after his daughter. "I'm sorry, dears. She's still in a state of recovery. I- I'll try to talk to her…"_

_The woman placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. "Don't, love. I will have these two talk to her. It would convince her better to give this a try." She turned to the two children behind her, smiling sweetly. "Go on my dears, make new friends."_

_The little pink haired girl nodded vigorously and skipped towards her 'new sister's' bedroom, the red haired girl following closely behind._

_***Knock*** ***Knock***_

_"Go away!"_

_"Please let us in. We just want to be friends," a voice said._

_"No! Go away!"_

_"Please? I- I was really excited to meet you. I've always wanted a big sister~" she said sweetly, hoping that her 'new sister' would open the door._

_"Don't you have one already?"_

_"Not exactly… We're not blood related… and she's mean." The voice whined._

_"Shut up pumpkin head." Another voice exclaimed._

_"See what I mean?" the other voice whined. "You're so much nicer than her~"_

_"Hey!"_

_The door slammed open revealing a very frustrated and tear stained, purple haired girl. "Why won't you leave me alone?" She cried. This however was what the pink haired girl was waiting for._

_"Oh you finally came out~" she squealed, attacking the purple haired girl with a suffocating bear hug. "Oh I wanted to meet you so much! You have the prettiest eyes and your hair's as purple as a lilac! I wish my hair were as pretty as yours~ But, my, you aren't that tall are you? Doesn't matter~ we can play all day in the garden and have fancy tea parties with all my dollies and- Oh my dollies! Would you like to see tem? You can play with them later after dinner and- Ah! Can I sit with you during dinnertime? Because if I sit with Elesis, she's gonna tease me again and I won't be able to eat properly and-"_

_"Wait! Stop! I- I can't… You're speaking too fast!" The purple haired girl clutched her head._

_"Sorry…" The pink haired girl apologized. "I'm Amy by the way~ Nice to meet you!" She had a set of beautiful rose gems for her eyes._

_"And I'm Elesis," the red haired girl spoke. She had deep ruby eyes that matched her hair._

_"I'm Arme." She said, a smile creeping up the corners of her mouth. "Nice to meet you, too." Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all…_

* * *

Arme stopped. Where is this place? She looked around the unfamiliar alley but couldn't take a good look because a heavy fog was draped around her. "Why was I running away in the first place?" She thought, mentally slapping herself when she remembered crying in front of the three strangers. How could she be so stupid? Running away just because she felt embarrassed for being lost and now she was even more lost. She let out a heavy sigh. _No use regretting that now. She started towards the north… Wait… Which way was north? Or south or east or west for that matter?_ "Great job Arme! Did you think you were lost five minutes ago? Well, now you're truly lost!" She said to no one in particular.

***Snap!* *Clang!***

Arme whirled around, her eyes darting from corner to corner. "Wh- who's there?" She called into the fog.

"Well, well, well. Now what's pretty lil' lady doing out here all by herself in a miserable place like this?" A gruff voice echoed throughout the alley followed by a few snickers. Apparently, the man wasn't alone.

Arme started to run again, her amethyst eyes wide with fear. I- I have to get away from here… Somehow…

"You can't escape us girly~" a voice called from the darkness. Arme ran from one alley just to find herself trapped in another.

"There's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide," another voice taunted. "We know every nook and cranny around these parts." NO! Arme continued to run until her legs couldn't take it anymore and she collapsed to the cold concrete, panting heavily. Footsteps can be heard coming closer and closer…

"N- NO! GET AWAY!" She screamed, huddling into a corner and covering her head with her hands and burying her face in her knees. "P-Please… go away," she whimpered. Her entire body was shaking, both due to fatigue and fear.

Cruel laughter echoed in the distance. "Boo." A voice whispered behind her, making her jump. "Lemme see that pretty face of yours." A hand reached out and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. Her wide amethyst eyes met his rugged brown ones and he smirked. Arme could smell the alcohol in his breath. _Drunkards… _She pushed him away and tried to run but the man was faster and caught her arm in a vise like grip. "Naughty are we? Didn't your mama teach ya any manners?" He laughed.

"Yo Angelo! Hogging the girl to yourself eh?" Another man appeared behind Angelo.

"Yeah Man! Share will ya?" A man approached her with a smug smile on his face.

_No… Leave me alone…_Tears started to form in the girl's eyes as she realized what was about to happen to her.

"Great going guys! Ya went n' made da lil' girlie cry!" Gelo said in mock sympathy. "Oh boo-hoo!" The two others guys laughed as they advanced toward Arme, one of them tied her hands with a thick rope while the other took out knife and sneered.

"Now, behave girlie an' nobody gets hurt, yeh?"

No… Somebody… Help… "Stop…" Arme whispered, as the man ripped of her shirt with the knife. She didn't know what to do anymore and only one word came to her mind. "Lass!" She screamed before finally being gagged with a piece of cloth.

* * *

"Dammit!" The silver haired boy cursed and banged his hand against the brick wall. "How could I have lost her?" He looked around him. Nothing—not a single trace of the girl, not a single clue, heck, there's not even a single person out here. Where was everybody anyway? Then it hit him. The Royal Ball! It's impossible to see the sky in this fog but judging by the cool air, night has already fallen and the ball had already started. His father is probably looking for him right now. What a good day to mess up.

_"Lass!_" a voice echoed.

Arme? His looked around frantically. "Arme where are you?" He shouted into the fog. No reply. He listened and listened. _That voice… It's Arme I'm sure of it… but where?_ Suddenly, he could hear distant laughter and a muffled scream. He followed the sound, twisting and turning in the seemingly never-ending alleyways, his silent footsteps concealed in the shadows, like a ghost at midnight. The sound however was getting closer and he quickened his pace, eager to see the purple haired girl again. He positioned his sword as he neared his destination.

He entered the alley where he heard the voices and finally saw what he was looking for. Arme. Tied up and gagged, stripped down to nothing but her underwear, with three men surrounding her, only one thought entered his mind. With lightning speed, he unsheathed his sword and charged towards the group of men. The three got up and prepared to attack him but after a single slash from the prince and the men fell to the ground unconscious and covered with numerous cuts and bruises.

"You ok?" He asked after a moment of silence. The lilac haired girl nodded slowly as Lass removed the cloth from her mouth and untied her wrists. He looked at her for a moment to see if she really is ok. Sapphire orbs met amethyst ones, neither one moving, not even blinking, trapped in a world of reverie. A blast of cold wind however, broke them from their trance as Arme trembled uncontrollably. Lass took off his cloak of and draped it around the shivering girl, pulling her in a tight embrace, trying to warm her frigid body. "You're not okay," he whispered.

"I… I am now…" Arme managed a weak smile, leaning on the boy's shoulder. Lass look at her with a worried expression, his silver bangs hanging over his troubled azure orbs. "I'm okay Lass. Really." She tugged playfully at his bangs and the boy smirked.

"Oh you are, are you?" He picked her up like a princess.

"Lass! P-Put me down!" Arme said, her voice trembling a little.

Lass laughed at her expression. " Hmm~" He started spinning her around and around and around…

"Lass! Stop!" Arme laughed. "I'm getting dizzy… Urk… I feel like throwing up…"

Lass ignored her and kept on spinning until he became dizzy as well and he lost his footing and fell, Arme on top of him.

"So are you okay or will you finally tell me that you're not?" He looked at her seriously, leaning closer such that their faces are only centimeters apart.

"I…"

"There they are!" A familiar voice yelled, causing them both to jump. "Yo Lassy! Arme!"

"Jinii! Amy!" Arme called happily, standing up and running towards them.

"Where have you been? I've been worried sick!" Amy cried.

"Jinii?" The red haired guy looked at her quizzically. Amy giggled.

"Don't you mean we?" Another voice spoke.

"Ellie!"

"How are you? And what the hell are you wearing?" The red head questioned.

"I… Um…" Arme blushed when she remembered that she was wearing practically nothing but her undergarments and Lass' cloak.

"Tell us later. Right now, you have to change~" Amy handed Arme a lovely paper bag containing the dress she was supposed to wear to the ball. Amethyst eyes were wide with surprise as they scrutinized every detail of the dress.

"Oh Amy! I love it!" She cried.

"Well, I'm sure you'll love it more when you slip into it~" Amy winked. "Now go find somewhere to change. We'll just stay right here." The purple haired girl nodded and went off to change.

"Hey I just noticed…" Lass said, slowly looking around. "Where's Ronan?"

* * *

A/N: I'm gonna stop there… XD Longest chapter yet... This is getting less Cinderella-y as the chapters pass… -_- So… yeah… I got this idea in Filipino class when we were discussing El Fili… Only that I twisted the story a little bit and added some personal touch~!

I'mma gonna add more couples besides Lass and Arme although they're just minor couples cuz the story's gonna focus more on Lass x Arme.

Has anyone noticed that Lassy is a striker here? :D I just figured that since he's a prince and everything and princes learn how to use swords... well you get the point ;)

Hmmm… By the way, there's something wrong about this chapter but I can't seem to spot it… If any one sees anything wrong please tell me! . Thanks~! I'll just do better on the next one…


	5. Destiny

**Disclaimer: No matter how much I wish it, I will never own this awesome game and it's characters...**

_There were stars… plenty of them. In various colors: white, red and blue, big and small, shining brightly. A little girl gazed up; her deep amethyst orbs were locked on to the twinkling diamond shards in the midnight blue sky._

_"Pretty…" she breathed. The many diamond shards reflected in her lilac eyes, making them shine like a pair of precious gems. She reached out her tiny hands as if to grab them but as near as they seem, they were always too far away for her._

_Disappointed, she looked up at her father, silently wishing he'd grab one for her. He smiled lovingly at her and she stretched her arms out to him. He picked her up and placed her on his shoulders._

_"Dreams are like stars," he spoke gently. "You may never touch them, but if you follow them, they will lead you to your destiny."_

_"Destiny…" she echoed softly. They continued to look at the stars in silence, enjoying each other's company._

_Oh how exciting!

* * *

_

"Oh come on Lire! I really need it this time!" A blue haired man pleaded.

"For the last time Ronan, no." Lire crossed her arms. "The ball's about to start in half an hour and I do not want you to go running of to somewhere!"

"But Lire—!" Ronan yelled.

"No means no Ronan!" Lire shouted back. "Why would you want to borrow two carriages anyway? Isn't one enough for you or do you have to bring your fan club here? And just where is the prince?"

"Jin's missing too…" Ryan said quietly. Lire's eyes widened as sudden realization hit her.

"Don't tell me… the prince…" Lire closed her eyes slowly in anger.

"Fine I won't tell you. Just let me borrow the carriage and I'll promise on my honor as a Royal Guard Master that the prince arrives before the ball starts- if you will just let me borrow the two carriages, I'll be off and the prince will be here in no time!" Ronan said quickly before Lire explodes.

"Why two? Surely you, Jin and the prince can easily fit in one."

"There were... guests who were not picked up by the royal carriage so I saw it to myself to arrange a ride for them so I need two." Ronan explained as quickly as he could. "Don't want the king judged for his lack of hospitality now would we? Whose fault is it that there were insufficient carriages sent out just because a certain lady overlooked a couple of houses?"

"… Fine." She glared at him. "But I swear if you're late…"

"You can go ahead and beat Ryan to a pulp without the prince or myself interfering! See ya!" Ronan rushed out the door.

"Wha— How did I get sucked into this?" Ryan cried. Lire had an evil grin spreading across her face as she smiled sweetly to Ryan.

"Oh I do hope Ronan comes back late," Lire cooed in an evil singsong voice. "We're gonna have so much fun~!"

"Dammit Ronan…" Ryan's orange eyes were now filled with fear and dread.

Lire exited the room giggling like a maniac. "Now I wonder which bow I should use?"

Ryan stayed rooted to the marble floor, fear coursed through his veins. _"Hurry up Ronan…"_

* * *

Arme looked at her reflection in one of the broken mirrors in the alley and found that she actually liked what she sees. She looked… beautiful for once in the dress Amy had given her. She looked like an actual princess in the white silk gown laced with purple lilac flowers that reached her knees.

"Oh! My! Gosh! Arme! You are just _soooo_ cute!" Amy squealed. Arme blushed and looked at her dress.

"You think so?" Arme said shyly.

"I know so!" Amy squealed. "Now c'mon! Let's go meet the others!"

"Um…"

"Oh you'll be fine!" Amy assured the blushing girl. "I'm sure Lass'll love it too~" She winked.

"Eh? No… I don't… " Arme stuttered as the pink haired girl pulled her along with her.

_What** will** Lass think?_

* * *

"What's taking them so long?" Lass asked. He was starting to get worried. It was dark and there were not man people around to help them if they were in any trouble. They could be under attack or robbed or worse… More importantly, why was he so worried over them? Arme especially. She's just the type of girl who would innocently walk into a trap thinking that it was some fancy dinner party.

"Oh, come on Lassy! Nothing's gonna happen to them alright?" Jin placed a reassuring hand on Lass' shoulder. "Dude you have to lighten up or your hair would be whiter that your dad's!"

"I don't see how his hair can get any whiter, _Jinni_."

"Ronan!" The three of them said in unison.

"Where have you been?" Lass asked. Though it was more of a statement than a question.

"Back at the castle," Ronan jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "We need you back, Lass."

"What? I can't just leave—"

"Jin can escort the girls to the castle. What's important now is that you get back to the castle now or the king could have a heart attack." Ronan looked at him sternly. "You have your duties Lass and you are expected to carry them. They will be fine."

Lass was silent for a moment.

"Dude, I am like your best fighter. I've beaten an army in mortal combat. I'm sure I could handle a couple dozen people with my hands tied behind my back." Jin grinned.

"You sure?"

"On my honor as a Silver Knight."

Lass sighed. "Fine… let's go then." He climbed up the carriage reluctantly.

"Would you like to come along, Elesis?" Ronan held out his hand.

"I uh…" Elesis' cheeks turned slightly pink. "I um… Arme... and Amy…"

"I'm sure Jin is more than capable of escorting them both safely back in the castle." Ronan smiled. "Now, shall we?"

Elesis looked at Jin who gave her two thumbs up. "Go on. You know you want to." Earning him a kick, which he expertly dodged.

"See what I mean by more than capable?" Ronan laughed.

"Fine…" Elesis took his hand and heaved herself up the carriage

"We're off then."

"See you!"

* * *

In the distance, Arme and Amy could here the soft thundering of horses echoing in the alley.

"The carriage must have arrived." Amy dragged Arme along faster. "Oh hurry up Arme! You look pretty in that dress! Stop being so self- conscious!"

"I'm not!" Arme blushed. "It's just that I don't have shoes on…"

Amy stopped and looked at her stepsister's feet, which indeed did not have any shoes on. "Oh… Sorry about that Arme." she grinned sheepishly.

"It's okay." Arme shrugged.

They kept walking at Arme's pace until they finally reached the clearing where they saw Jin leaning on the carriage, waiting for them.

"Well about time, and I must say you both look stunning." He smiled.

"Thanks Jinni~" Amy giggled, blushing slightly. Arme simply nodded and blushed.

"No shoes, Arme?" Jin looked at her slightly bruised feet.

Arme shook her head.

"Hmm… We'll find you a nice pair at the castle so just you wait, 'kay?" he said.

"Thanks… But… Where's Lass and Elesis?" Arme looked around.

"They went ahead with Ronan. To save time." he said, helping Amy then her board the carriage, "and I think it was so that they could surprise Lass. You really look great in that dress Arme."

"Thanks…" she whispered. She wasn't sure if Jin heard it but he smiled and shrugged his shoulders so she took it as a sign that he did.

"Well then, it's off to the ball!" Jin grinned as the horses took off and they were on their way.

"Oh I'm so excited!" Amy squealed. "It's like a dream where you go to a ball and meet the boy of your dreams and he asks you to go outside to the garden with him and you dance together under the moonlight fall in love and kiss and live happily ever after."

"A dreamer, are we?" Jin looked at her and smiled, his handsome face silhouetted in the dim light of the moon as his ruby red eyes locked on to her rose colored ones. "Well dreams you know, are like the stars. You may never touch them, but if you follow them…

"They will lead you to your destiny."

"Oh how romantic…" Amy's eyes gazed dreamily into his and Jin gazed back.

Two lovers. Arme silently giggled. They make a cute couple.

The stars continues shining brightly as they made their way to the ball and throughout the trip, only one thing was on Arme's mind.

_**Destiny.**_

* * *

A/N: Sorry it took forever! And happy Chinese New Year! :D Hope you liked this one!

I made Jin a bit OOC I think… and not much fluff here… I'll try to update the next chapter soon… Hoping it won't take another forever for me to conjure up another chappie…

R&R!


	6. An Unpleasant Surprise

_**Disclaimer: Yes, this game is awesome. Yes, the characters are awesome. No, I do not own Grand Chase... Yes, I do own GC... IN MY DREAMS! Keep on dreaming!**_

* * *

_"Hi, I'm Arme!" a purple haired girl said cheerfully. "Wanna play together?"_

_"No." a boy said coldly. "Go away."_

_"That won't do." Arme responded coolly. "My mama and papa used to say that if little boys and girls don't go and play and socialize with other boys and girls then they'd grow up and die alone."_

_"What the hell are your parents teaching you?" the boy looked at her indignantly. "What do you care anyway?"_

_"Well, I care because I know my mama and papa would." Arme told him._

_"Just go away." the boy replied. "I don't want you near me."_

_"But you look so lonely and sad…"_

_"Don't talk to me like you understand me!" the boy yelled. "You have parents who are worried about you. Why don't you just go home and leave me alone!"_

_Arme winced a bit under his glare but said, "Aren't your parents worried about you too?"_

_The boy looked away. "I… My dad's too busy with work and… my mum died when I was young. Not that you'd understand." He clenched his fist. "Get lost."_

_Silence. The boy gave a soft sigh. Suddenly flinching when he felt a pair of small arms wrap around his waist. "What are you—" He was cut off by small sobs._

_"I'm sorry… I didn't know…"_

_"It's alright," the boy said. "Just leave me alone/"_

_"No… It's not alright!" Arme protested, shaking her head vigorously. "Absolutely not! It's not alright! You lost your mum! It's—it's not alright…"_

_"What do you mean?" the boy pushed her away. "Of course I am. Why the hell are you crying? It's not your mum that—"_

_"My mama died when I was young too…" Arme whispered. "And my papa died just last week…" She looked at him. "So I know it's not alright. I understand… It hurts…"_

_"I…" the boy looked at her, taken back. "Sorry."_

_Arme shook her head. "It's okay. I want to be your friend if you want me to be. And you can't go on about me not understanding you because I do." She smiled, wiping the tears away with the sleeve of her dress. "So you wanna play together?"_

_The boy nodded, "Fine," he said, a smile slowly fighting to appear on his face as Arme pulled his hand and ran towards the flowerbeds._

_"I never did get your name." Arme said._

_"Oh… My name isn't important." He said with an awkward smile. "Just call me…"_

* * *

The castle looked amazing. The outer gardens were well lit and the decorations were simply beautiful. Glass statues covered by roses and lilies, trees hanging with colorful little lanterns and beautiful silver and gold decors with little crystals hanging from them were wrapped around the banisters and from the ceilings and roofs.

"Your Highness!" Lire said breathlessly, bowing as Lass stepped out of the carriage. "His Majesty, the king has been worried as to whether you would show up at the ball or no—"

"Shut up Lire." He answered coldly, walking away.

"Sorry 'bout that." Ronan said quickly. "He's having bad day… er… mood swings." He winked.

"Oh…" Lire replied, obviously shaken. "And who's this?"

Ronan helped a certain redhead get off the carriage. "This is Elesis. My date for tonight." Ronan added with a smile.

"Is that so. Come with me, please." Lire grabbed Elesis' arm and led her away, tossing Ronan a couple of masks. "Put those on. There's been a slight change of plans. Masquerade ball. Separate the guys from the girls." She smiled. "Don't worry, you'll find each other soon." she added seeing the look of worry crossing Elesis' face.

"Well then, see you later Ely~" Ronan called after her, grinning mischievously as he puts on his mask.

"Don't call me that, dammit!" Elesis yelled, blushing furiously.

* * *

"Tonight's the night." a cloaked figure leaned on one of the trees in the palace labyrinth.

"Yes," a masked woman smirked, throwing her long golden hair over her shoulder. "Tonight, I will finally be rid of the final flaw in my plan."

"And what exactly is that plan of yours supposed to be, hmm?" The figure removed its hood revealing a woman with red bloodthirsty eyes.

"Oh the usual, you know," the masked woman walked over to a rose bush and plucked a rose from the bush, holding the flower in her hand. "Wreaking havoc, creating chaos and stuff… eliminating the Grand Chase that's been horribly troublesome to the monsters in the surrounding area."

"Ah yes, quite the normal routine for the average everyday villain, don't you say?" Kaze'Aze smiled. "Fortunately, yet unfortunately, I'm not your average everyday villain." She looked at the masked woman with an evil gleam in her eyes, and immediately she fell to the ground, unmoving.

With a snap of her long bony fingers, the masked woman turned into dust leaving only a mask as proof that she once was there. Throwing aside her cloak, which instantly burst into flames as it flew out of her grasp, Kaze'Aze stooped to pick up the mask and wore it.

"And now, let the festivities begin."

* * *

"Here we are, ladies," Jin said. "The Kanavan Royal Ball."

"Whoa…" Both girls stared at the castle in awe as they stepped out of the carriage.

"I know right?" Jin smiled. "It gets better. Come on."

As they approached the great front doors of the palace, an errand boy greeted them and presented them with a basket of masks.

"His Majesty's orders." He explained.

"Thanks Lee." Jin said as he took three masks from the basket Lee was holding. "For you milady, a lovely rose mask that perfectly compliments both your enchantingly beautiful eyes and magnificent, silky locks. " He said, bowing as he presented the rose haired girl with a mask with a delicate design of roses entwined in thorns.

"Thanks Jinii~ It's perfect!" Amy giggled as she wore the mask. "You're sweet~"

Jin blushed a bit but quickly recomposed himself. "Right… Er… Here, Arme, this is yours." He said, scratching the back of his neck with one hand while handing Arme a mask with purple and white lilacs with the other.

"What, I don't get flatters and compliments like Amy?" She raised an eyebrow teasingly.

"I'll let dear Lassy have the honors of doing that." He smirked.

"Wh- Whatever!" Arme wore the mask and strode off.

"You know what Jin?" Amy grabbed Jin's arm just as he put on his fiery mask. "I just thought of a totally awesome plan~"

* * *

"Please son, just put on your mask and head downstairs ok?" The man pleaded with his white haired son. "Just this once, alright?" He gave his son one last pleading look before quietly closing the door.

"Ugh… This totally sucks." He murmured as he slumped deeper into the soft velvet cushions. "Arme's obviously no princess." He thought randomly, smiling slightly at the thought. "And yet… unbelievably, I think I'm actually in love with her." He chuckled. "Ridiculous and stupid."

"Took the words right of my mouth, you ridiculous and stupid prince."

Lass sat up and glared at the indigo haired masked knight who was leaning on the doorframe. "Ronan…"

"That's my name. Here, Jin told me to hand you these," he tossed Lass a pair of lilac slippers. "Get up, wear your mask, take those and go down. A certain shoeless Cinderella is waiting for you." He smirked. "Now if you'll excuse me Sire, I have a lovely lady waiting for me as well."

Lass glared at the door then at the pair of lilac heels in confusion. Lilac… Then it hit him. "Arme," he whispered. In a split second, he got his mask on and ran straight downstairs with a pair of shoes in one hand and a hopeful glint in his sapphire eyes, desperately looking for a short lilac haired girl.

Meanwhile on the other side of the room was an unnoticed girl without shoes seated in the corner, mentally scolding herself for stupidly running off without even having shoes on. Now her feet were sore and somewhat bleeding.

_"Where is she?"_ Lass angrily thought to himself, frustrated for still not being able to locate her even after an hour of looking. "Arme… Where are you?" He stopped and looked around the sea of masked people. "It's impossible to find her in a crowd of masked people."

"Dude, the shoes." A voice whispered. "See anyone _shoeless_ dancing around you?"

"Who—?" Lass turned but saw no one familiar. Then he spotted a familiar color in the corner. "Arme…"

He rushed over to her and knelt on one knee before her, confusing the girl. "Um… Who…"

"In need of shoes, shorty?" He teased, his sapphire eyes gleaming.

"Lass! It's you right?" Arme nearly shouted.

"Yep, it's me. But what happened to you?" He frowned, as he wiped the blood of her feet with a white piece of cloth, then tearing the cloth and proceeding wrapping it around her feet like a bandage.

"Oh… that… um… well as you can see, I don't really have shoes so… yeah…" She averted her eyes, smiling sheepishly. "I'm sorry…"

Lass sighed. "You're a klutz you know that?" Arme giggled embarrassedly as he slipped one of the shoes on her now somewhat bandaged foot. He looked at her and smiled. "Well, no use asking you for a dance now is there?"

"Nope~" She beamed, relived that she didn't have to dance.

"How about I _force_ you?" He smirked, slipping on the other pair.

"What?"

"That's a possibility now, isn't it?"

"No way…"

"Alright then, now that that's settled," Lass got up and pulled her out of the chair. Arme stumbled a bit, due to her cuts and not being used to her new shoes. Fortunately, Lass caught her in his arms, making her blush. Seeing her face made Lass smirk as he practically dragged her towards the center of the ballroom.

"Lass… Don't… I can't dance." Arme pleaded.

Lass, who pretended not to hear her, took one step back and bowed, "May I have this dance, _princess_?" He winked at her, offering her his hand.

Princess? "What—I " Arme shifted uncomfortably as all eyes were on them. "I… um… Ok, I guess…" She said, taking his hand and seeing the annoying victorious glint in his azure eyes.

Gently grasping her small hand in his, Lass pulled her into a slow dance. As they glided and twirled on the dance floor, Arme could think of nothing else as her eyes were inexplicably glued to his beautiful sapphire eyes. Lass on the other hand, couldn't help but smile as he stared into her enchanting amethyst eyes.

As the music faded, Lass led her outside towards the palace gardens where he just held he hand and never let go.

"Arme," he whispered her name. He faced her and leaned closer to her face until he could smell her scent. Lilac… It suits her perfectly.

"Lass… What are you—?" Arme whispered, unable to comprehend what was happening.

"Hey, Arme?" Lass whispered again, his forehead now leaning against hers. "I think… I think I'm actually fa—"

**BOOM!**

A loud explosion inside the castle interrupted the moment. Countless screaming people streamed out of the now burning castle.

"Elesis and the others!" Arme said, horrified.

"Tch." Lass cursed silently. "Stay here." He told Arme before dashing off to look for his friends and more importantly, his father.

* * *

After Lass took off, Arme slumped on the grass. _What just happened?_

"Ah, scared and confused like a little girl, I see."

Arme looked up and saw a masked woman, looking at her with bloodthirsty eyes, making her shiver. "Who are you?"

"Who am I?" The lady cackled. "The more appropriate question right now should be who are _you_?"

"M-Me?"

"Oh, you poor child," the woman cooed. "You haven't got a clue on what's happening at all have you?"

Arme stared at her blankly. "What… What do you mean?"

"Dear me," the woman said in mock sympathy. "What do I mean you ask?" She laughed. "Have you ever seen the portrait of the previous King and Queen of Serdin?"

"I don't understand…"

"Surprise, surprise. You really don't know? Why Arme dear, you are the lost princess of Serdin and the supposed heir to the throne!" The woman exclaimed.

"No… I can't be… What are you…?"

"**_Somnus!_**" the woman said and immediately, Arme fell asleep. "You poor girl. It seems that your stupid, selfish stepmother well kept everything from you. Well, I'll make you a Queen soon enough, my dear puppet. And soon, I will be…" She cackled as a dark purple mist surrounded both hers and Arme's unconscious body, leaving only a single lilac shoe behind…

* * *

*Done! Finally! After two months of endless cramming… Summer! Hope you like it! It's sort of more Cinderelly now! Yay!

*R&R please~


	7. Gone

**FINALLY AN UPDATE! XD**

**Sorry to keep you guys waiting! ****I hope you enjoy this chappie while I brainstorm for the next one! :3 Oh and as usual...**

**_R&R~ _**

* * *

_The sun was setting and evening drew near. Faint groans and growls of monsters were heard far beyond the reaches of the Forsaken Barrows. Spine tingling cries of the Lich were heard as a couple blasts of something unnatural lit up the night sky and banished it once more from this world._

_A little girl sat playing in the garden, surrounded by hundreds of tiny floating lights, waiting and watching the garden gate where her dear father is to enter when he comes back from yet another mission. A little boy a few years older than her sat down on the grass near her and watched as she played with the little orbs of light. He too was waiting for his father to come home. After a few minutes of watching her, the boy sighed, his azure eyes drooping._

_"Hey Arme, I'm bored." He complained, standing up and brushing the dust of his pants. "Lets go fight some monsters together! I just learned a new technique from father and I wanted to show you! They also say there's a new monster in the Marsh! It's supposed to be super strong!" He ranted excitedly, taking out his daggers from his pocket and taking up a battle stance. "C'mon Arme! Imagine how proud our dads would be if we killed that thing!"_

_"But it's almost dark, Lass!" the little girl protested. "You know the monsters are stronger after dusk! We could get really hurt!"_

_"Oh don't be a baby, Arme! You're 8 now! Even if you are short for your age." Lass smirked and Arme blushed at his remark._

_"I may be short Lass, but at least I know better than to randomly run off into the Marsh at at night," Arme retorted. _

_"But Arme! Can't you just do the Meteor thing if we get mobbed or something?" Lass said, his eyes shining with anticipation. "Then if things get dangerous we can run away! Or you can teleport us back here and no one would know!"_

_"I'm not going okay? And neither are you! Papa's almost home!" Arme pouted, annoyed at Lass' persistence on going to the Marsh. He should know better being the son of._

_"I wouldn't be so sure about that Arme, dear." A voice said sadly._

_Arme and Lass turned to see a man whose shirt is all dirty and reeks of blood. _

_"Dad!" Lass yelled excitedly. "Dad, can Arme and I go into the Marsh and fight monsters? Huh? Can we? Can we? Please?"_

_The man smiled sadly at his son and shook his head. "I told you a lot of times Lass. No."_

_"Aww but Dad!" Lass whined. "You'd be there to protect us won't you?"_

_"I'm tired Lass. Maybe next time okay?"_

_"Um… Your highness.." Arme interrupted, pulling on the man's shirt. "What do you mean 'I wouldn't be so sure about that' ? Where's my papa?"_

_The man was silent as he pats Arme's head solemnly, fighting the tears that were threatening to spill. "I'm sorry Arme… Arthur's dead."_

* * *

Lass searched the crowd, this bright blue eyes darting left and right for his father. He was sure Ronan, Jin and Ryan are more than capable of taking care of the guests but not his father. The old man's just _dying_ to take action and wouldn't be led away like some helpless old man. No, the former leader of the Grand Chase was much too prideful for that.

"Father! Where are you dammit!" Lass shouted amidst the chaos the castle. "Father!"

"Lass you idiot!" A man shouted from behind him. "Everything's under control!"

"What control?" Lass shouted back. "I only see chaos and disorder!"

"What I meant was-" Another explosion cut the king short. "Damn." The king drew his sword and began running towards the front gate of the castle. "Go back to Arme Lass! I can't believe you were dumb enough to fall for her trick! GO BACK DAMMIT!"

"What, how do you know Arme? What trick? Who is this 'her' you speak of?" Lass shouted at the king who was already too far away from him to hear. Damn, he cursed mentally. What'll happen next?

The castle was in complete chaos. People were screaming left and right as the pillars and ceilings collapsed. Bodies were crushed under the weight of the stones, causing the people to panic even more as the run out of the castle gates in horror and shock of what just happened.

"Lass!" A voice called.

"Ronan!" Lass said, relieved that at least one of them was safe. "Where are the others?"

"Well Elesis apparently…" Ronan started but stopped. "No wait, that's not important right now. Where's Arme? Isn't she with you?"

"She was but I left her in the garden to search for you!"

"You idiot!" Ronan practically yelled. "Why'd you leave her?"

"I didn't…" Lass stammered, shaken by Ronan's sudden outburst.

"We have to go find her!" Ronan said, urgency in his voice. "Now!"

"But what about the others?"

"Elesis took care of them while I looked for you guys. Seriously Lass, you couldn't have been a more irresponsible prince." Ronan sighed. "We need to hurry. Arme's in danger."

* * *

An evil laughter rang through the air.

"To think it was **this **easy to kidnap the princess of Serdin!" A masked woman in a long black cloak laughed as she glanced at the unconscious girl chained to a pillar. "You have outdone yourself this time Kaze'aze," She said, praising herself and taking the mask off, revealing her pale features and blood red eyes. "And now little one," She purred, stroking the girl's soft cheek and scratching it with her long unkept nails, "Awake." She commanded.

"Nngh.. Where am I?" the girl murmured, her amethyst eyes coming into focus. She tried to stand but couldn't. "What is- Why am I chained up?" Her voice suddenly panicky. She looked up and saw the woman smiling menacingly at her. Fear clouded her amethyst orbs and she backed away from the woman. "Wh-who are you? Where am I? Lass? Lass!"

The woman laughed and it sent chills to the lilac haired girl's spine. "Welcome back dear Princess, to Serdin. Stop your useless cries, princess. The Kanavan prince won't be able to hear you."

Arme stared at her eyes wide in disbelief. _Lass! Help me!_

* * *

_Lass! Help Me!_

"Arme." Lass whispered and turned around. His deep blue eyes searching the garden frantically for her. He shouldn't have left her there on her own. Now she was no where to be seen. "Dammit, Arme! Where are you!"

"It's no use Lass," Ronan said quietly, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"No I could've sworn I heard her voice!" Lass dropped to his knees on the cold, hard ground and notice a single lilac shoe. He took it and stared at it, whispering her name over and over again. "Arme..."

"I'm sorry Lass... We were too late..." Ronan said quietly, his gaze cold and unrelenting. "Arme she... She's gone."

* * *

_**A/N: **Welp that's that~ =w=_

_Arme's gone... *gasp* What will Prince Lassy do?_

_Stay tuned for the next chapter~ XD_


	8. Helpless Prisoner, Renewed Hope

**UPDATE! :D**

* * *

There was smoke everywhere.

People were streaming out of the castle gates in ruin clothes. Some burned, most torn. Others were not so lucky though. The remaining castle guards carried out on makeshift stretchers unmoving bodies. Cries and wails could be heard echoing throughout the night.

A little far from the scene of chaos, a group of three huddled around a small fire. Their eyes clouded and expressions murky. Something unprecedented had just happened. Something not even the oracle had foresaw.

"If I had only been more alert to the voices of the gods…" a girl with pink hair mumbled. Her pretty pink dress was torn and she shivered as she pulled a slightly singed white coat embroidered with red linings and designs around her to keep warm. "The gods must have foreseen this… If I had been more keen to their voices…"

"Amy," A boy with fiery red hair said. His bright yellow eyes reflecting the small burning flame of their little campfire. He held the oracle tight and whispered into her ear. "It's not your fault." He stroked her messy pink hair as she quietly sobbed into his chest.

"We **have** to save Arme!" The redhead shouted. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail and she had flaming red eyes to match the anger she had felt. "If you sissies won't help me then I'll go alone!"

"Wait Elesis!" the boy with the fiery red hair called. "We have to wait for Ronan and Lass to come back. It's not safe to go alone."

"Jin's right Elie…" Amy said, looking up at her step-sister, her rose eyes still shimmering.

"Don't call me that Amy…"

"You can't go alone!" Amy insisted, grabbing Elesis' hand. "Let's at least wait for news and plan on what to do next."

"My father didn't teach me the art of the sword for nothing!" Elesis snapped. "I can't just stand around here and do nothing!" She pulled away from Amy and dashed back towards the ruined castle, grabbing a sword from a fallen guard.

"Elesis!" Amy shouted after her. The pink haired girl crossed her arms and huffed, putting on a pouting face, leaning on Jin's shoulder as she glared at the back of the red head. "Oh I swear, she can be SO stubborn most of the time."

From the distance, Jin and Amy could make out two other figures walking toward Elesis. One with indigo hair and the other with snow white hair. Ronan and Lass. But no sign of purple anywhere… Then that means..

"Arme… " Amy whispered, covering her mouth as the tears start to reform in her eyes. "It's just as I feared… We were too late..."

* * *

_"My papa's dead.. I don't see why I shouldn't be!" Arme screamed, pounding her little hands on the cold hard ground._

_"Of course you can't die Arme!" Lass said, holding Arme's now bloddied little hands. "Then no one would play with me anymore!"_

_"NO! NO! NO!" Arme screamed even louder, shaking her head. Her long purple hair swayed violently in the calm breeze. "I never wanted any of this! Why did my papa have to join the Grand Chase! Why did he have to be chased out of Serdin!"_

_"What…" Lass stared at her in shock, his bright blue eyes shot at his father for answers._

_The old king simply shook his head sadly. "Arme," he said softly. "Arthur died to vanish a very powerful monster. He did it so you could live happily…"_

_"NO!" Arme shrieked, throwing Lass on the ground as a powerful force emitted from her body. Slowly she rose from the ground, her pupils vanished as her eyes simply emitted a ghostly purple glow. Thunder roared as wind and lightning surrounded her body._

_"ARME STOP THAT!" Lass yelled in a panic. What was happening to his friend? "DAD!"_

_"I'm sorry Arme… Maybe it's best if you forgot." the king mumbled and glanced over at his frightened son. "And you too Lass…" He approached the small violet tornado and touched the wind encircling the girl with the tip of his finger. Lightning cackled. He winced at the pain and pushed his hand further inside the funnel until he reached the Arme's forehead. "I'll miss you Arme." He smiled sadly as his fingertips grew a warm blue light that radiated throughout her tiny body and she fell on the ground unconscious._

_"Dad!" Lass shouted. "What did you do to her?"_

_The king smiled sadly at his son as he lightly touched Lass' forehead, causing him to slump to the ground beside the lilac haired girl. "I'm sorry my son. It's for the best." He sighed and looked up the sky. "To forget is more painful than to remember a death of a loved one. Isn't that right, Arthur."_

_A single star shot across the sky in response._

Arme woke up.

"Awake again, at last, my puppet?" a cold voice spoke. "That took longer than the last time but, hopefully by now you've regain all, if not, at least the important parts of your memory?"

Lilac orbs tried to focus on the black shadow standing in front of her. "Kaze…'Aze…" she mumbled. Arme tried to get up but her wrists and ankles were still tied to a pole by chains and shackles.

"Ah you still remember me~" The voice cackled in mock delight. "How was your dream. Wonderful I suspect?"

Arme's eyes shot open. "Papa… He's dead.. He was a mage… Arthur of the Grand Chase…"

Kaze'Aze rolled her eyes. "Yes. Annoying mage. Trapped me in this hideous body that forbids me to regain my true form. But he is no more. And the spell is weakening. Give or take a few more weeks and I would have been at the height of my powers once more!" She cackled in delight.

"You… You were the monster who killed my papa!" Arme said with sudden realization. No wonder Lass felt so familiar to her. The king had wiped out her memories. "Then my mama…"

"Dead, yes. Queen of Serdin, kidnapped by Arthur. For six years Serdin was without a Queen to rule her. But by tonight one week from now, YOU, Arme, will be crowned the rightful Queen, successor to your mother's throne." Kaze'Aze smiled at her wickedly. "And a wonderful host to the Queen of Darkness."

Arme's eyes were wide in fear. "You're planning on possessing me…"

"And to wage war on Kanavan~" Kaze'Aze finished with a smile, showcasing her rotten black teeth. Arme winced at the sight. "Destroy the king, bla, bla ,bla." She saw Arme's look of horror and smiled. "Not to worry my puppet~ I shall have you destroy that prince you love so much~ I'm such a wonderful Queen aren't I?"

"No!" Arme whispered. "I won't-"

"Oh believe me darling," Kaze'Aze crouched down and took Arme's face with her rough hands, forcing her lilac eyes to look directly into her blood red ones. "You will. And you will love it." Bonechilling laughter rang throughout the castle as Arme let loose the tears. She was helpless. Lass is far away in Kanavan. There was nothing she could do.

* * *

"Isn't there **anything** we can do?" Lass shouted, exasperated. He **had** to find Arme.

"Calm down Lass," Ronan sighed. At times like this, the prince could almost be unbearable! "First we think of a plan."

Amy looked at the two men yelling at each other and scooted closer to Jin who in turn, firmly grasped Amy's hand. He hated it when there was a heated argument between Lass and Ronan. And he was sure Amy hated it just as much seeing her expression mix with worry and fear. Even Elesis knew better than to interrupt. Instead, she eyed Ronan with renewed respect. He just didn't seem like the type of guy to speak up.

"The plan?" Lass yelled. "The plan is to charge in to wherever Arme is and save her!"

"And where exactly is this 'wherever'?" Ronan raised an eyebrow at the prince who punched the wall in anger.

"How on earth am I supposed to know?"

"Exactly." Ronan shook his head. "This will get us nowhere."

"May I suggest a mission, then?" A deep voice said gently. "That was what I would do."

The trio on the floor rose and bowed slightly. "Father." Lass said through gritted teeth. Behind the king, Lire and Ryan appeared, tired and worn.

"Hello there Elesis," he smiled warmly at the red head who seemed surprised that the king knew her name. "At times like this my good friend Arthur and I would call on the Grand Chase and go out on a quest. Your father," he nodded at Elesis. "Elscud, was the finest swordsman in Kanavan. Shame he had to go missing. As for the others, I'm afraid I haven't heard of them since the Chase had divided." The king walked about each one of the children. "Elesis, you seem to be the most suitable for leading them into battle don't you think?"

"No way!," Elesis said, forgetting she was talking to a king. "Wouldn't Ronan or Lass do a better job of leaden us?"

The king paused for a while, a bit taken aback by Elesis' way of conducting herself in front of a king, then chuckled slightly at a memory of days gone by. "Truly Elscud's daughter. Back in the day, it was he, not I who led the Grand Chase. I was simply a king. He was our true leader, and I think, it would be right that his daughter succeeded him, don't you agree?"

Without a word, Elesis nodded. This shocked everyone.

"I think you children are ready. If I guessed correctly, Arme's at the tallest tower within the castle walls of Serdin. Kaze'Aze must have her imprisoned there, I could think of no other place…" his voice trailed away. "In any case, hurry. There isn't much time."

"There never was much time when we did missions," Jin grumbled, standing up. He glanced at Amy who was deep in thought and held out his hand. Amy looked at it a while then glanced up at Jin and smiled gratefully as she took his had and he helped her up.

"Ryan, dear, don't mess this one up like the last mission we had," Lire said sweetly as she lodged an arrow into her bow and drew it back, shooting it straight through a pillar of stone and onto a concrete wall, leaving a small arrow shaped hole in the pillar and a large crack surrounding the area where the arrow landed. She turned and looked at Ryan, murder written all over her yellow orbs. "Alright?"

Ryan gulped. Sure Lire was sweet and all but she could be _such_ a perfectionist most of the time. "Yes Lire," he said a bit shakily, glancing at the bow and arrow at Lire's hands. He summoned his battle axe.

"It'd take a week at most to get there," the king said. "So you'd best leave this instant." He took of a gold ring from his finger and slipped it on Elesis' finger. "This is my seal. It should be able to provide you with all necessities along the way. Lass also has one, but just in case." He winked at Elesis. "You can never be too sure. Your father taught me that." Elesis blushed a bit. She missed her father terribly. If only he'd come back… "You're the new Grand Chase now. I wish you the best of luck."

"Lass." The king said sternly before melting his face into a warm smile. "Be good."

Lass grunted. "I'm not a kid anymore father." But he couldn't help suppress a smile.

"Onwards, Grand Chasers!" Elesis said loudly, with a silly grin on her face. She raised her sword and pointed towards the Forsaken Barrows. "Onwards to Serdin!"

"She didn't have to be so dramatic about it, does she?" Ronan said with a smile.

"She's just in a good mood~" Amy giggled, clutching Jin's arm. "Let her be."

"Arme…" Lass whispered, putting down the one lilac shoe he found on the spot Arme had disappeared.

* * *

_**A/N: **__Did you guys like this one? R&R~ OwO_

_Next update will be: who knows? XD_

_Hope I think of some stuff soon~ And I hope you guys liked this one~ :")_


	9. Surfacing Memories

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Grand Chase or any of it's characters. They belong to KOG._**

**_Update! (after a year's silence... OTL sorry about that.)_**

* * *

_"Won't you come live with us?" The mysterious blue eyed boy pleaded. "We could stay up all night talking and all day playing! Please Arme?"_

_" If you wouldn't mind, sir, I would like to go back to my home," The little purpled hair girl said._

_"But Arme, if you come live with us we get to play everyday!" The boy whined._

_"I'll come visit everyday, I promise." She said, taking his hand and wrapping her pinky around his. "I want to take care of the house my papa and I lived in. Besides, I have a new mama to take care of, whenever papa's gone to do his missions."_

_"But-" _

_"I hate to agree, but she's right boy." The man said sadly. He had the same piercing blue eyes as his son. "She may be young but she knows where her duties lie, and that is to her family."_

_"But we're her family too!" the boy protested. His blue eyes pleading for her to stay with him._

_The older man sighed. His little boy was indeed spoiled to think he would always get his way. He would have to deal with this annoying trait later._

_"I know!" The boy held his pinky in front of Arme's face. She took a step back in surprise. "Promise me. Promise me, Arme. That one day, when we're old enough, I'd come back for you."_

_Arme giggled and wrapped her pinky around his. "Then shouldn't it be you who's promising me that?"_

_"Lemme finish!" the boy huffed, cheeks red from embarrassment. "I promise I'll come back for you. That's a given. But Arme. You absolutely have to promise me that when I do, you'll say yes."_

_The man burst into laughter upon hearing his son saying those words. "Hey! Shut up old man!" the boy blushed profusely._

_"Say yes to what?" the girl asked, confusion in her purple orbs._

_"Say yes to me you idiot. We're gonna get married when we grow up! That way you absolutely HAVE to live in the palace!" the boy's face was as red as a gorgon's fire as he blurted out those words._

_Arme smiled innocently and gripped his pinky. "Of course!"_

* * *

"Nngh…" Arme groaned wearily. Another dream... Or was it a memory...? She sat up and noticed that she was still chained to the stupid pillar. The mage sighed as she adjusted her posture, trying to feel more comfortable in her present state.

"Why good morning princess," A cold voice shot through the air. Arme shuddered. "And how are we this morning?" It asked her tauntingly. A shadow crept over the ceiling and on the floor, slowly materialising into a person. Kaze'Aze.

"None the better," Arme mumbled. It's been three days since the kidnapping and she's been subject to these weird dreams which Kaze'Aze calls her suppressed memories. Some were good, the others horrible. Especially those the dark queen forcefully extracted from her by the use of some complicated spell even she never heard of.

"Well, four more days pet," The dark lady cackled in anticipation. "Four more days and you'll be rid of those horrid chains and we'll rule Bermesiah together!" She squealed in delight. Arme cringed. Both from Kaze'Aze's ambition and the sound she just made. It sounded like rusty nails scratching on a blackboard and that didn't even made sense.

"What do you mean we?" Arme's eyes narrowed at the thought. "Aren't I supposed to be a lifeless puppet or an empty shell of what has been or something?" She questioned. Something wasn't right here. You can't posses a body unless they're either inanimate to begin with or already dead. No two souls can reside in one object. That was rule number one in the Book of Possession Spells! Surely Kaze'Aze was bluffing. Mind control maybe but possession is just-

"Oh hush dear," Kaze'Aze rolled her eyes and smirked at the purple haired mage. "Haven't you ever heard of Soul Possession?" Arme's eyes widened at the mention of the spell. "Hmm, you might have, you might have not. Well it's such a long story, believe me darling, I know. So let me break it down for you. Soul Possession is a form of old and forbidden magic wherein instead of merely possessing one's body, you posses one's soul, therefore removed the threat of exorcism. For by exorcising the parasitic soul, you are also expelling the host soul, then killing the person by depriving them of any such free will or emotion. And the only way you can exorcise such would either be to kill the person, therefore killing both OR if the person's will is strong enough then voila, the parasite is expelled."

Arme's mouth hung open from what she just heard. If that's the case then there was no way… She wasn't a strong willed person to start with, and Kaze'Aze probably knew that. And is currently even breaking her even further that she'd almost be a mindless puppet by the time the witch decides to take over her soul. Lass and the others have only four more days to save her… After the soul possession spell is cast, all hope would have been lost…

"Oh and in case you're thinking that you're strong enough to resist me," Kaze'Aze said casually as she leaves the room. Leaving a loaf of bread and a cup of water for Arme to eat and drink. "We'll see how strong you'd still be when I kill your precious prince with your own hands." She sneered as Arme froze in horror. She then dissipated into thin air, her horrible laughter echoing throughout the room as Arme slumped on the floor.

"Hurry up and save me Lass…" She begged silently. "Please…"

* * *

"Damn it Elesis!" Lass practically screamed at their red head leader. "What the heck was that for?!"

"S'not my fault…" Elesis mumbled, pouting. It wasn't her fault really. She was just… hungry. That's all. Not her fault really. The stupid orc started it. He was the one who stole her lunch. She had all the reasons in the world for attacking it.

"If you didn't go and attack that orc we would've already be at Kerrie Beach by now!" Lass was beyond furious. Does nobody understand that they must get to Arme as soon as possible? The red head was nearly in tears. Be it in frustration, fear or humiliation, the striker didn't care. He needed to get his mage back. He needed to get her back now.

Ronan placed a soothing hand on their leader's shoulder. "Give her a break Lass. We're all as worried as you are, but we did just cross over from the Gorge of Oath, barely escaping from the drillmons because you decided that it's a waste of time fighting them, passed the Elven Forest and taking down the troll by midday and slaying the tons, gorgons and Gorgos in the dungeon we just passed, ALL in one day."

"We're making up for lost time." Lass retorts, crossing his arms over his chest. "Now we have to make up for lost time tomorrow too."

"Lass, we're all worried about Arme here and we all want to get her back as soon as possible," Jin said. "But you also have to understand that shouting at our leader won't help anyone."

Lass huffed and climbed up a tree. "Whatever. You guys go rest. I'll keep first watch."

Sighing Jin retreated into the men's tent with an already sleeping Ryan and an equally troubled Ronan, while the Lire and Amy guided a distressed Elesis into the other. Lass leaned back onto the broad trunk of the tree and frowned. They just finished off the Orc Lord back at the Orc Temple and he should be feeling good about a victory like that. But he just can't help but think that if they were able to successfully sneak past them as planned, they would be camping at Kerrie Beach by now.

As he mused on the day's happenings, he felt a slight tap on his shoulder. "Go to sleep princey." Ronan smirked. "Then maybe you wouldn't be so cranky."

"Shut up, lover boy," he huffed and jumped down from the tree.

"Says the man who's desperately trying to save the love of his life," Ronan teased.

"Whatever, I'm sleeping." Lass ducked into the tent and quickly dove under the thin covers so Ronan wouldn't see his reddening face. He wasn't desperate. He was just worried. Something could happen to Arme and he wouldn't be there to protect her. He just wanted her to be safe. What's wrong with that? He wasn't desperate. No he's not. Not… Ok maybe a bit. He admits to himself before he drifts into a dreamless slumber.

* * *

A scream pierced through the cold walls of the tower as the violet mage drops down on the cold wet floor.

"This should do for today." Kaze'Aze mused as she materialised in front of the panting mage. It took Arme all she had to not cry there and then. Pain shot throughout her entire body as she shook on the cold stone floor. "A few more days and your soul would be mine to control." The witch told her. "Soul Possession takes a horribly long time. It's really troublesome, but we're almost there."

"What…" Arme panted, raising her head to look at Kaze'Aze in the eye. "What are you… *pant* … doing to me…?"

"Ah, well, I'm possessing you little by little," she replied happily, causing the mage to stare at her in horror. "Yes, yes, you're horrified by the thought. I'm glad you feel that way!" She said in that horrible sing-song voice. "I get satisfaction from horrified victims, really, no joke." She winked and disappeared into the air.

Arme lied on the floor for a few minutes before breaking into sobs. "I'm scared…" She sobbed uncontrollably, her chains clinking as her body shook against the cold, unforgiving stone floor. "I'm so scared… Lass… "

* * *

_Lass…_

Who... Is that… Was that... Arme…?

"So, shouldn't we like… wake him up now?" Ryan ventured. Poking the white haired striker's cheek for the umpteenth time that day. "For real I mean. Like dump him in the river or something."

"What will you do if he doesn't wake up still and drown?" Lire scolded. "Will you perform CPR on him?"

"Eww gross, no way! We all know only Arme could even do such a thing with him."

"Right. So shut up and wait for him to wake up on his own."

"All right but I'm telling you, he'd be royally pissed if he finds out-"

Lass groaned and sat up bleary eyed. Something bright was blinding him. He squinted and saw that it was well past noon and sat up from his bed. "Why didn't you guys wake me up?!" He yelled and falls off the bed.

"Told ya." Ryan pointed out and left the room before anything else happens.

Lire shrugged. "Believe me we tried. You even slept through the entire battle with the crabs and the harpies." She said a matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, you even missed lunch!" Elesis said almost too happily. "Amy cooked. Did I mention that she's a great cook? Because she is! That said, you missed a lot when you missed todays lunch."

"Wait, WHAT?!"

"Aw Ellie, you flatter me," Amy cooed. "Though Lass, you should probably calm down. You don't even realize where we are." She giggled.

"Where we are- Where.. Aren't we outside the…" Lass trailed off as he realizes that he was sitting on a bed. An actual bed. Not some sleeping bag in the middle of some forest or near an orc-infested temple but a real bed, in a real room in an… "We're at an inn…? But I thought… Where the heck are we?"

"Serdin."

"What?" Lass turned to see a black haired man leaning on the door frame. "Who?"

"It's my gramps." Elesis said, narrowing her eyes at said man. "He's the reason why we got here so quickly."

"Wait, what?" Lass murmured. "You're telling me that that guy over there…"

"Yup!"

"…is your grandfather…"

"Exactly."

"That guy."

"Yes, that guy."

"By the door?"

"Uh huh."

"…"

"…"

"I'm going back to sleep." Lass said finally and hid under the covers. This was too much for him. Sure he hasn't been sleeping the past three days but this was just insane. One moment they were a day's journey from Serdin, then suddenly they're in an inn INSIDE Serdin.

He didn't even notice when they passed by Kerrie Beach or the Outer Wall! And who the heck was that mysterious guy who Elesis, of all people, claims to be her grandfather?! The guy doesn't look a day over thirty! Lass' head hurts. And he was going to sleep it off. He can't go fighting some old powerful witch in his state. No, he HAS to rest. Then maybe, just maybe the madness would die down a bit.

Even just a little bit…

"Arme… I'm almost there... Just wait a little bit longer..."

* * *

**A/N: Ok ok I know I take like ****_WAAAAY_**** too long to update but at least I still do, right? Right? Anyways, I'm sorry for taking almost a year to update but please bear with me as the story's about to end in a couple chapters or so! (which means maybe another year of waiting... lllOTL) R&R as usual?**


End file.
